Pisces: A Persona 3 Portable Fanfiction
by Adelaide 'Adell' Peirce
Summary: Chapter 1: And he would have none of that also. "Do you know of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice?" he started, hesitant at first but one after the other, he just kept speaking and talking to this girl he didn't even know; just to see her happy...
1. Orpheus and Eurydice

_**Pisces**_

_**Chapter 1:**_Orpheus and Eurydice

_Disclaimer: _The author does not have ownership over Persona 3 Portable or any of its characters, locations and such; they belong to Atlus. This fanfiction, however, does belong to her. If she did own Persona 3 Portable, Shinjiro x Hamuko would be canon.

_Warning: _Violence, sexual themes and other things that would warrant a warning. Spoilers from the game are to be expected. There are also major differences from the actual storyline, such as the fact that both Minato and Hamuko exist here and Death is sealed inside them on March 1999 instead of May 1999.

_Pairings: _(Major) HamukoxShinjiro; (Minor) HamukoxRyoji, HamukoxKen, HamukoxMinato, AigisxMinato, ChidorixJunpei.

_Author's Notes: _I tried to make them in character as possible, so I hope you like this. Oh, and the title is 'Pisces' because, well… they're Pisces! And Pisces is the sign which has two fish, so there's two of them and… yeah, I'll shut up now and let you read.

* * *

**[March 7, 1999 – 23:50 Sunday**

**Moonlight Bridge]**

There was the sound of a girl desperately trying to muffle her giggles in the backseat of the car. The man in the passenger's seat looked up at the rear view mirror, amusement twinkling in his eyes as he gazed lovingly at his wife and his two wonderful children. **"Are you still awake, Muko-chan? It's way past your bedtime and just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you should stay up late,"** he said, trying to sound serious but couldn't keep that smile off his face as his little girl pretended to sleep despite the giggles escaping her lips. The little brunette shut her eyelids as tightly as she could and leaned on her brother, giggling a bit before exaggerated fake snores escaped her mouth.

Now, it was her father's turn to laugh at this display but he managed to fight it off by biting his lower lip as he didn't want to wake the two who were actually asleep. **"You should go to sleep, Muko-chan, you've got your exams tomorrow and you don't want to fail those, now do you? Go to sleep like your brother," **he said once more, probably trying to get the little girl to sleep for the umpteenth time that night. They had celebrated the two children's birthdays at that nice ramen shop and had also gone to buy a birthday cake in the sweetshop at the Iwatodai Strip Mall at their insistence.

The girl, Muko-chan as her father had called her, stopped pretending to sleep her crimson eyes twinkling with amusement as she stood up from her seat and wrapped her tiny arms around her father's neck. **"But I'm not sleepy, papa. Besides, Minato-nii is **_**always**_** asleep," **she giggled, glancing at her blue haired brother and rolling her eyes in good nature. **"And I think I'm old enough now to stay up this late, right, Gyosha-san?" **she added, looking at the old man behind the wheel who chortled with amusement.

"**You are six years old, milady,"** he started when the girl quickly corrected and reminded him that they were now seven. **"Well, yes, you are still seven years old, milady. You should have been asleep a few hours ago. If you don't get enough rest, you might stop growing,"** he continued on politely, never taking his eyes off the road.

"**I knew I shouldn't have let you eaten all those sugary stuff. It's gone straight to your head, Muko-chan, and your stomach. You might get too fat and we'll have to start calling you Ham-chan instead," **her father added in a teasing manner earning a groan from the little girl at his lame joke.

"**I just want to be awake until I **_**actually**_** turn seven," **Hamuko quickly whined in return. She was always very specific at being awake when she _officially_ turns a year older. You see, Hamuko and Minato where indeed twins but she was very specific of the time that they were born. Minato was first to be delivered seven years ago on the seventh of March at exactly 23:50; Hamuko was delivered a bit later, being delivered on the eight of March, 00:01 and she could never let the fact that his brother was eleven minutes older than her go. In her eyes, that officially made her the younger sibling and meant that she was supposed to be the spoiled one in a weird sort of way.

Her father rolled his eyes at this in reply and laughed. Looking at his wristwatch, just to humor her, he said, **"Well, you don't have to wait too long. It's already eleven fifty nine, Muko-chan. Two more minu-" **but the man never got to finish what he was saying when everything seemed to freeze; the car engine died down and the lights went out. The sky outside turned an eerie green and the moon felt as if it was closer than ever.

Hamuko's innocent eyes widened and the first thing that she noticed was the coffin that replaced her father. She had been hugging him all this time and now, her arms were wrapped around this cold casket. In a panic, she made to move and call Gyosha-san for assistance only to find that he had been turned into a coffin as well. **"Pa… pa?" **she called out hesitantly when there was a groan from beside her, making her jump and look around. It was only her big brother Minato, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and pushing himself off his mother who had became a coffin as well.

"**Are we home yet, Muko-chan?" **he said, yawning into his hands and blinking. His eyes focused and the last thing he saw was his sister crying before everything turned… brown. Hamuko engulfed her brother in a tight hug and began crying into his shirt. **"What's wrong?"** he asked with confusion as he tried to push her hair away from his eyes so he could see something other than the brown mess.

"**Papa, mama and even Gyosha-chan," **she was sobbing. **"They've turned into boxes."**

There was a sigh from the boy and he reached around with his free arm to try and wake their mother awake; mother always knew how to handle Hamuko when she was crying. **"What are you talking about? Mama is right here…" **he trailed off when he couldn't feel their mother from where she had been seated; instead, there was a cold coffin there. This was probably what Hamuko thought was a box but Minato knew better. _'What's going on here?'_ **"Muko-chan, can you let go of me for a second… I can't breathe," **he said, using that as an excuse to see and confirm what he had felt.

Hamuko nodded before letting go of him, albeit hesitantly, and watched as he turned to inspect the coffin beside him. And there it was but he couldn't believe it. Now, Minato was a smart kid, smarter than most his age but he couldn't figure out what was going on, let alone believe in it. This must have been some sort of bizarre night dream. There was a look on his face that made Hamuko scared, usually seeing this look when he was serious or, on the rare occasion, angry. The look on his face melted off though and he turned to his little sister with a small smile. **"This is just a dream, Muko-chan. We should go back to sleep,"** he said, reassuring her but his eyes betrayed him. This dream felt real… too real and it was more like a nightmare.

The girl pouted and shook her head, not wanting to go to sleep especially if this was indeed a dream. Even if it was very different from her usual dreams which were usually filled with ice cream, cakes and sushi, it was still a dream and Hamuko always wanted to have fun in her dreams. But when Minato patted the spot on the seat next to him, she couldn't complain and complied instead, leaning her head on her brother's chest and closing her eyes.

Minato wrapped his arms around Hamuko and closed his eyes as well, trying to drift back to sleep. It was usually easy for him to sleep in a moment's notice but found that he couldn't. So, he just closed his eyes and pretended to sleep for his little sister's sake but after thirty minutes had passed, he couldn't take it. There was a pout on his face that said that he clearly wasn't amused with the situation.

"**We're still in this dream… Falling asleep usually works for me,"** he mumbled like a kid that was given a lousy sock as a present for Christmas.

Hamuko was shy because her brother was usually right about these things but she couldn't help herself when she said, **"Maybe it's one of those dreams where you have to do something to get out of it?" **with her face burning up in embarrassment. She never did good at school and her brother was always better than her at most things so she was afraid that she was wrong about this one. So it wasn't surprising that she was, well, surprised when her brother agreed with her.

"**Probably,"** was all he muttered before unlocking the car door and stepped out unto the bridge; his sister was quick to follow him as well. It was eerily cold, seeing as there was no wind and he wrapped the black jacket he was donning tighter around him. There was no wind, no sound, no light and not even a breath of life – as if the whole world stood still for him and his sister. The only thing that kept this world from being a dark abyss was the moon and the green glow it casted on them. He looked to the sides, forward and behind them, checking out the other cars to see that they too had coffins in them.

Minato was nervous but Hamuko was in awe. **"This looks like something that came out from a horror movie!" **she said, all fear washed away as she believed in her brother – that, yes, this was a dream of some sort. The girl ran over to her brother who was looking for other signs of life other than themselves that was hopefully human (not wanting anything from those horror movies to pop up). But, even as they called out, things were still deathly silent and chillingly still.

But the silence shattered like a bullet to glass; there were loud explosions off in the distance and a scream that made one's hair stand on end. Minato was frozen where he stood but Hamuko wasn't fazed, heading towards the direction of the sounds. The brother's eyes widened. **"Muko-chan! Where are you going?"**

She turned around to face him with an excited grin. **"This is a dream, right, you said so yourself? We'll be alright then, dreams can't hurt us. Don't tell me you aren't curious to what that was," **she said, giving him a cute pout and running off towards the strange lights that got closer and closer. Minato regretted telling her what he did and struggled to follow with the long distance she had covered in her excitement.

They didn't get too far though as they hid behind another vehicle before they were audience to a battle, as if they were plunged into the world of an action movie or a role playing game of some sort. Just a few feet away from them stood a girl, much older than them with a head of corn yellow hair with her back turned to them. She was wearing what looked like white and gold battle armor and her movements were strangely stiff and mechanical. Across her was a floating figure with what looked like coffin shaped shields surrounding it; the thing let out another ear piercing roar before lunging towards the android with breath taking speed.

"**Initiating summoning sequence," **came her robotic voice and a woman adorned in robes and armor appeared in front of her to protect the girl from the creature.

The first thing that came into Minato's mind was the possibility that robots and monsters were fighting over who got to take over the world.

What came into Hamuko's mind, however, was the excitement in seeing something so… exciting! She couldn't help it when she cheered out loud for the robot girl. **"Kick his butt, yeah!"**she shouted, jumping out from behind the car with her fists in the air and a huge grin on her face. Minato, knowing when a cover is blown, ran to her side and tried to drag her away from them.

The blonde's head snapped back, taking a glance at the little human girl which was enough for the dark creature to get in a hit which sent her flying back. Her metal body went soaring and crashed into the car they had been using as a hiding spot and Minato was glad that he got out of there or he would have been flat as a pancake. But it didn't stop there as the girl continued to be thrown back and five cars had been totaled by the force and there was a huge explosion with the wreckage… one of them was the Arisato's car.

Minato screamed but both he and Hamuko were forced away from the blast. To make things matter worst, their bodies were thrown nearer towards the awful creature… at arm's length, in fact.

The blue haired boy's eyes widened as he scrambled to his feet and placed himself in front of his sister. Raising both his arms high up, instinctively trying to protect Hamuko, he shot a glare and tried to make himself look threatening to the weird creature as much as he could. **"Stay away from my sister!"** he yelled at the thing that paid him no attention. _'Mama and papa told me that I have to protect Muko-chan… I'm the big brother; they're all gone so I have to protect her.'_

And the thing just looked at them for a moment, tilting its head before unsheathing the sword at its side. Then, there came that voice – _**"Come to me, Minato. Come to me, Hamuko,"**_and it was most dreadful and chilling as it reached their ears. It drew closer and Minato took out a pocket knife that he kept with him at all times.

"**I told you to stay away!" **he roared, trying to plunge the knife into the things body but instead, was met with a blade through his chest – straight through his heart. His eyes widened as the pain racked his body and he coughed out blood. Life was leaving his body and Hamuko could only fall to her knees and cry behind him, raising a shaking hand towards his body.

"**Mi – minato-nii," **she stuttered as sobs racked her body and the thing, the shadow of death flicked the blade to the side and the body was thrown off it. It skidded and rolled along the pavement and almost fell of the bridge as well. **"MINATO-NII!" **she screamed, running over to her brother's body and the thing made to move for her as well when there was a blur and the blonde girl from before held the thing back.

For a split second, Hamuko and the robot's eyes met. And a decision was made right there and then; a decision that Hamuko wasn't aware of and one that would change everything.

Using all her strength, the blonde plunged her hands into where the shadow's heart should be and, with difficulty, started to drag that black mist that surrounded her hands towards the young human girl. They were like strings, still attached to the creature as it shrieked in pain and started to convulse.

Hamuko's eyes widened, not knowing what was going on and she sought out Minato's hand with her own. She found it but it felt cold and dead but that was enough to give her a bit of strength to try and protect herself from what that robot planned on doing to her. She steeled herself and she stood up in front of Minato's body much like how he did just a few moments ago. **"What do you want?"** she shouted at her.

And all she got in response were the words **"Initiating sealing sequence,"** and her cold, metal hand grabbed Hamuko's forehead. The dark mist started to seep into the girl, creeping into her mouth and her nose and the thing behind the robot started to writhe and slowly disappear. It was painful and agonizing for the human child and she started clawing into her throat as if she was being fed pure evil… which she was. There was silence once more except for the child's sobbing and the thing's pained cries.

Soon enough, the shadow disappeared but the pain didn't as if the monster itself lived within the girl. The blonde let her go and Hamuko was panting on all fours and she felt as if she was going to throw up. **"What… what did you do to me?" **she wheezed, tears still spilling and she tried to reach for the girl… maybe hit her fists at her, just to take out the pain. **"It's your entire fault! Papa, mama and now Minato-nii! They're all dead!" **she screamed when a gun… a hand… no, her hand was a gun and it was pointed right at her.

"**I am a weapon created to destroy Shadows, human child. This is not my **_**fault**_** and you will speak none of what has transpired to the other humans or you shall have to be eliminated. Is that understood?" **she said with no emotion in her cold voice, nothing at all to show that she had felt guilt in her cobalt blue eyes.

There was silence as the gun was still trained at the young girl's face but a voice cut through the tension like a butter knife. **"Aigis, what are you doing? That's a human! Stand down and report at once," **someone shouted and Aigis removed the gun from her face and looked back.

"**The Shadow has been eliminated," **was all she replied and Hamuko's vision was blurring and the last thing she saw was another child, about a year older than her more or less with long, wine red hair. The hold she had on Minato's hand tightened for a moment before she dropped on the ground, at the dangerous bridge between death and life.

* * *

**[March 8, 1999 – 00:01 Monday**

**Moonlight Bridge]**

The world started to move once more, the green glow gone leaving a crash site in its wake. Everyone who had been saved from the disaster was confused as to how this could happen in such a short time and the police and paramedics were sent. Only two were still alive from the accident but this wasn't going to be the case if they weren't sent to the emergency room immediately. The ambulance rushed over to Tatsumi Memorial Hospital.

Watching them were two figures in a limousine. **"Casualties were expected but you eliminated the Shadow, Aigis, good work."**

**

* * *

**

**[? - ?**

**?]**

Hamuko's eyelids were heavy but she tried so hard to open them and found herself in a strange room. Everything around her was white and she felt very light even as she kneeled down, the pain that had racked her body from the incident at the bridge gone as if it didn't even happen.

"**Am I… dead? Is this heaven?" **she asked out loud, a great sadness washing over her as she looked around, half expecting her parents and her brother to be with her if she was, indeed, dead.

"**Dead? No. Merely in a plain between life and death,"** a voice called out, that of another child but she saw no one else around.

"**What happened to Minato-nii? Is he here too?" **she continued to ask, hopeful for an answer.

"**Mi… nato, he was here but – he just left and he's going to **_**another **_**place."**

"**Another place? You mean heaven, right?"**

"**Heaven or hell, I do not know. Why do you ask about… Minato?"**

"**He's my brother and if he's going somewhere, he's going to heaven! He's a good big brother," **Hamuko shouted back at the voice, annoyed that whoever it was would even think that her big brother would go to hell. But this still didn't comfort the girl; her brother was leaving her and it was all her fault.

There was a silence that was neither comfortable nor awkward – it was just empty.

"**Why are you crying? Surely you should be happy to know that you will live," **the voice said again in a most curious tone, as if questioning human emotion – as if he himself wasn't human.

Hamuko couldn't take it anymore as she bit her lip and tried to stop her crying. Her fists were clenched and her whole body was racking with sobs once more. **"Show yourself, jerk and I'm going to punch you in the face!" **she shouted.

"**Show… myself?"** the voice asked again. **"What is… myself?"**

Tears were running down the girl's face again and she wiped them off with her arm. **"I don't care if you're that monster that killed my brother! I'm going to punch you in the face for what you said so show yourself!" **she screamed even louder, getting up to her feet.

And that accusation rang again and again in the other's head. Guilt, sadness and anger bubbled up in him. Why was he feeling these things? He didn't think, as far as he knew, that he was the monster that this girl spoke off. But there was a feeling deep down in his being that the monster she spoke of was him. Looking at the girl, despite having no eyes, his sadness and guilt swelled until it made the anger disappear; he didn't want to be that monster… not to this girl. So, he searched… searched in her memories for a form that he could take up. It didn't need to be a specific person; it could even be a lot of different people just so he wouldn't be that monster that this girl hated, that this girl feared. He didn't know how he did it but when things were done, they were done.

And he stepped out, into the light to show the form he took to this girl. **"Greetings," **he said with a small smile, his hands behind his back. He was wearing clothes that where of black and white stripes, something akin what they call prison uniform although it only made the child like entity to look even more harmless. He had fair skin and dark hair… but what struck Hamuko were his bright blue eyes.

They reminded Hamuko too much of her brother and she started to cry.

This startled the other entity that there was a small frown on his lips and confusion in his eyes. **"Do I… displease you?" **he asked her, stepping forward but received no reply as the girl just wept, whispering the name 'Minato-nii' over and over again as if it was some sort of mantra. He couldn't believe it himself when he felt for this girl and regretted even opening his mouth. **"It's not too late, you know? You can still save… Minato, if you want to. I can – help you," **he breathed out and his eyes widened at what he did. He knew what he was going to help her do was wrong, like it was against some form of unwritten and unspoken rule but that look on her face made this emotion swell up, replacing all the negative emotions he had felt before. Was this… happiness?

"**You know how we can save Minato-nii?" **she said, looking up at him, trying to dry her tears and something unexplainable shining in her eyes.

The entity looked away, at anywhere but her. **"Well, yes… but it will be difficult and this curse upon you – he will be receiving it too," **he muttered, not really understanding himself what this curse was all about. He just knew that he wanted to help her after seeing that look on her face.

Hamuko would hear none of it. **"Tell me! Please, tell me how to save Minato-nii!" **she said, threatening to break down into sobs again.

And he would have none of that also. **"Do you know of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice?" **he started, hesitant at first but one after the other, he just kept speaking and talking to this girl he didn't even know; just to see her happy, just to see that smile on her face.


	2. Io and Penthesilea

_**Pisces**_

_**Chapter 2:**_Io and Penthesilea

_Disclaimer: _The author does not have ownership over Persona 3 Portable or any of its characters, locations and such; they belong to Atlus. This fanfiction, however, does belong to her. If she did own Persona 3 Portable, Shinjiro x Hamuko would be canon.

_Warning: _Violence, sexual themes and other things that would warrant a warning. Spoilers from the game are to be expected. There are also major differences from the actual storyline, such as the fact that both Minato and Hamuko exist here and Death is sealed inside them on March 1999 instead of May 1999.

_Pairings: _(Major) HamukoxShinjiro; (Minor) HamukoxRyoji, HamukoxKen, HamukoxMinato, AigisxMinato, ChidorixJunpei.

_Author's Notes: _Second chapter, yey! Took me long enough, huh? Sorry if I'm confused with the locations and the overall flow of events in the actual games. I tried to look for some kind of walkthrough with much of the story spoilers as possible just to get an idea what happens on which date. Maybe you could help me with that, huh? I don't really need a word for word of the conversation everyday in the game, just what happened because there are heavy changes seeing as both Minato and Hamuko are alive. I'd play the game again if I could just to help with writing but I accidentally upgraded my PSP to the official firmware 6.35… Yeah, I'm a sucker.

Oh, and I realize you may start thinking that the story is in Hamuko's point of view. It's not completely but, the fact that Minato is a silent character makes it hard for me to drag the focus off Hamuko who can easily steal the spotlight from her brother… Not to mention, the major pairing does have Hamuko in it. Also, I think that some of you may notice some animosity in my writing whenever Yukari comes up – I don't hate her but she makes it so hard not to.

* * *

**[April 6, 2009 – 23:50 Monday**

**Anehazuru]**

"_**Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. We apologize to any customers who were in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai… This is the final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island. Please take care to board before our departure."**_

There was a yawn as a blue haired teen rubbed at his eyes, straightening up in his seat and trying his best not to lean on the brunette beside him… Not that she had minded. **"We'll have to get off the monorail in a few minutes, Minato-nii, don't fall asleep on me…" **she smiled to him, squeezing his hand gently. To anyone who didn't know them, they must have looked like a romantic couple – they looked nothing like each other after all, despite being twins.

**[April 6, 2009 – 23:59 Monday**

**Iwatodai Station]**

It was very late, almost midnight in fact and there was the shuffle of feet as the monorail's doors opened to let passengers off to the station and to let others on – a pair of teenagers, around the age of seventeen, walked out before the doors closed behind them.

One of them was a boy, with navy blue hair, dark blue eyes, fair skin and a sleepy look on his face. He towered a few inches from his female companion who looked like his polar opposite. Her cheery disposition seemed to give her a warm aura about her; her crimson eyes and brown hair (held back by barrettes that formed the Roman numeral XXII) were vibrant and there was a small smile on her lips. Together, they held hands as they walked unto the paved floor, each sporting casual clothes; the boy sporting a simple white shirt and jeans, the girl wearing a white turtleneck, a red scarf around her neck and jeans. They also had their own NW-S20x neck-strap MP3 player and sported ATH-EM700 earphones in the colors blue and red, respectively. The MP3 players weren't being used though but there was a comfortable silence between the two as they walked along, following a map towards the dorm they were assigned to.

"**Imouto," **the boy suddenly said when they were at an intersection. The girl, hearing her brother call her, looked at him and tilted her head. **"Do you mind if we can grab a snack before heading to the dorm?" **he said, pointing to a takoyaki stand bearing the name Octopia. There was a pleading look in his eyes despite his calm facade and his sister giggled.

She looked at Minato and at the stall, seeing the shop owner preparing to close down very late and nodded. **"It looks like it's closing time and it's very late as it is but I guess there's no harm in trying," **she said, heading towards to try and coax the vendor in selling them some of the octopus balls. But they hadn't even taken one step when the air around them suddenly became heavy, everything turned an eerie grin and the smell of blood permeated through the air. The lights went out and where the vendor had stood was a coffin.

The two of them froze and the silence no longer comfortable. **"Let's forget about the takoyaki then," **Minato frowned, obviously annoyed and started pulling Hamuko in the direction they were originally headed.

This thing, what just happened, they both called it the _Hidden Hour_… it wasn't their first time experiencing it. It seemed to be an everyday occurrence for both of them although they could find no explanation for it and they couldn't even remember when they _actually _started experiencing this. This just became of their everyday life and as long as they were careful, they remained safe – although the two of them knew that this happening was something of importance; they just didn't know what was so important about it. Time would stop, everything would cease to function and only they were _alive _during this, as far as they knew; they didn't question it anymore after years of trying to figure it out. Both also knew that it was safer to be indoors when this happened so Hamuko didn't think twice about agreeing with his brother as they hastened their walking speed towards Iwatodai Dorm.

A few blocks ahead, a building came into view: the Gekkoukan High School, Iwatodai Dorm – or, at least, it should be since this was the address that was written down on their admission pamphlet. It was rather big and fancy for a student dorm but they just hurried in through the front doors, surprised that it wasn't locked.

* * *

**[April 6, 2009 – **_**Hidden Hour**_

**Iwatodai Dorm: Lounge]**

Everyone was probably asleep in their coffins and they both didn't expect anybody else to be _alive_… Which was why they were startled when a voice greeted them, **"Welcome." **Hamuko almost screamed bloody murder if Minato didn't place his hand over her mouth; the boy who had greeted them just smiled in amusement. **"You're late. I've been waiting a long time," **he continued, as if nothing had just happened between the three.

Hamuko nudged her brother in the rib to let go of her as she clutched her chest, trying to calm down. **"Good lord; you startled us there. We didn't think someone else would be **_**awake **_**at this time," **she laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head sheepishly and exchanging glances with Minato. This was the first time that they encountered someone who was _alive_ during the _Hidden Hour_ aside from the two of them.

Minato just gave her a raised eyebrow; _'Us?'_

Just then, the boy was handing them a piece of paper. There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes, **"If you want to proceed then please sign here. It's a contract," **he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. **"There's no need to be scared. It only binds you to accepting full responsibility for your actions," **he added, his smile growing wider as he did.

"**Oh, it's a waiver?" **Hamuko asked, looking at the paper. If it was a waiver, it was a pretty weird one as the only words written on it was _"I chooseth this fate of mine own free will," _and below it was a blank where they could sign their names. Yep, nothing to be scared off and Hamuko quickly took out a pen and signed her name.

_Hamuko Arisato._

When it was Minato's turn to sign the contract, Hamuko took this time to look at the boy. He was wearing clothes that where of black and white stripes, something akin what they call prison uniform although it only made the child to look even more harmless. He had fair skin, bright blue eyes and dark hair. There was a familiarity about him but Hamuko and she couldn't help herself as she asked, **"Have we met before?" **and Minato looked up from the paper to give his sister an incredulous look.

The boy tilted his head at Hamuko for a second and seemed to think, before he shook his head almost hesitantly. **"I don't think so…" **he said, although when he said this, his speech seemed a bit off. It was like giving an actor a new line an hour before a performance after he just memorized a whole script.

Minato just shrugged it off and finished his signature; the boy probably did this every time there was a newcomer to the dorm and being thrown off course was something new.

_Minato Arisato._

He handed it back and straightened up, giving the pen to his sister and waited to be directed to their room; they had asked to be in the same one and, hopefully, their request was understood. In fact, they were glad when the pamphlet said that this specific dorm was co-ed.

The boy's smile was a bit smaller when the contract was back with him – as if he regretted even giving it to them in the first place. **"…Very well," **he said in the same controlled voice as before. **"Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away. And so it begins…" **he said and Hamuko could have sworn there was a sigh.

In the blink of an eye, the boy disappeared.

Minato froze and had his hand in his pocket, ready to grab his Swiss army knife at a moment's notice when they realized what happened. They didn't even have a chance to breathe though when another voice cut into the uncomfortable silence.

"…**Who's there!" **a female voice called out as a teenager cautiously walked towards them, her brown eyes wide. She gave them a look as if they had both grown an extra head each, **"How can you be… But it's…! Don't tell me…" **she continued and there was a look of realization on her face, as if an answer presented itself to her albeit it being a very wrong answer. But what she was thinking of and what she thought she knew wasn't important to the Arisato twins. None of it mattered when they spotted the strange gun in her hands and Minato stepped protectively in front of his sister with the Swiss army knife in hand; Hamuko got into a fighting stance too and narrowed her eyes.

It seemed though that the _Hidden Hour_ and the boy weren't the only oddity they would be experiencing tonight; as if some sort of god up there was mocking the two of them and was using them as a form of amusement. The unknown girl suddenly lifted the strange gun and, instead of pointing it at them, pointed it at herself and pressed it against her forehead. And they thought that they had seen everything already but it seemed that they were proven wrong.

Her hands were shaky as she made to pull the trigger but there was a shout. **"Wait!"**

**

* * *

**

**[April 7, 2009 – 00:01 Tuesday**

**Iwatodai Dorm: Lounge]**

Everything suddenly became alive around them as the _Hidden Hour_ disappeared; the lights turned on, nightlife became apparent from the sounds outside and there was a dog barking into the night. Even the tension and the fear that had overwhelmed them were lifted and Minato's grip on his knife loosened and Hamuko's fighting stance slackened. The gun was dropped as the girl looked around in a panic. **"The lights…"**

The new arrival, a female with wine red hair chuckled and smiled. **"I didn't think you two would arrive so late," **she said as if the girl next to her hadn't just shown a sign of suicidal tendencies and that Minato could have stabbed her for it. **"My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."**

The other took a glance at the two and whispered, although the siblings could very well hear her, asking **"Who are they?"**

"**They are transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here. Both will be eventually moved to a room in the normal dorm," **she answered, still with the same amusement twinkling in her eyes.

"…**Is it okay for them to be here?"**

"**I guess we'll see…" **came another reply as if the two weren't there and Hamuko coughed out loud on purpose to remind them that they were, indeed, here. There was a chuckle from the Kirijo girl, **"Forgive us. This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you," **she said, finally acknowledging their existence and saying it as if it'll help the situation at all. Maybe she forgot to mention the part where she asks them to look after her and make sure she doesn't shoot herself since they were in the same year level.

"**Hi, I'm Yukari," **she greeted with an awkward smile.

"**Why do you have a gun?" **Hamuko blurted out without thinking, her hands behind her back as she narrowed her eyes at the girl. She didn't look like someone who was with the _emo _crowd.

The girl was flustered at the question. **"Huh? Um, well, it's sorta like a hobby… Well, not a hobby, but…" **she struggled and Hamuko was able to resist the urge to have her make up her own mind.

Mitsuru was quick to jump in for a save and just smiled, **"You know how it is these days… It's for self-defense. It's not a real gun, of course." **Minato sighed and replied about his knife being real and about being his sister being a real butt kicker. She only laughed, **"Well, it's getting late. The boy's stay on the second floor and girl's stay on the third floor; your things should already be there. I suggest you both tuck in for the night."**

"…**But we requested to be in the same room," **Hamuko said with a small pout.

There was a small blush on Yukari's face. **"Well, you can't expect that to happen. It's a co-ed dorm but that doesn't mean you get to sleep with the guys in the same room," **she said, putting her hands on her hips as if she was explaining this to a pair of toddlers.

"**What's wrong with being in the same room with my imouto?" **Minato asked with indifference, Hamuko sending a small and grateful smile his way.

And Yukari became even more flustered. **"Imou… to? O-oh! You two are siblings… But you two don't look like – I thought you were," **she said, clearly struggling in embarrassment from assuming that the two were romantically involved. Then, she stopped speaking for a moment and took in a deep breath to compose herself. **"Well, that still isn't a good enough reason for you two to be exempt to the rules; it's not like you two are glued to each other," **she said with a tone of finality and there was a mumble from Hamuko that sounded like she had said "I wish we were". Defeated and downcast, the female Arisato just nodded and slumped forward. **"Well… I'll show you the way. Follow me," **she nodded, heading up the stairs as the two followed behind.

* * *

**[April 7, 2009 – 01:29 Tuesday**

**Iwatodai Dorm: Third Floor Hallway]**

After having seen where Minato's room was and letting him get some rest, the two female juniors went up to the third floor and Hamuko was shown her room which was… right above her brother's. A plan already started brewing in the girl's head and she weighed the pros and cons of cutting out a whole into her room's floorboards so that she could get into Minato's room undetected. But her scheming was cut off when Yukari spoke up again.

"**This is it; pretty easy to remember, huh? Since it's right at the end of the hall," **she beamed, the animosity Hamuko was trying to convey failing. **"So, any questions?" **And a lot of questions flooded into the girl's mind.

'_Are you really suicidal?'_

'_Why do you have a collar around your neck?'_

'_Why are you trying to keep me away from my Minato-nii!'_

And she wanted to ask all of these to Yukari but decided on choosing something that didn't make her sound nuts, paranoid, weird, rude or all of the above. **"We signed a contract…" **she said, remembering the boy from before but she was obviously asking the wrong person as there was a confused look on Yukari's face. **"You know what? Never mind," **she sighed.

But the look of confusion on Yukari's face turned to a look of concern. **"Okay?" **she muttered before something flashed in her eyes. **"Um… Can I ask you something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"**

She was probably asking about the _Hidden Hour_ and Hamuko was about to reply but stopped herself. _'Remember what Minato-nii told you: Never talk to others about the Hidden Hour; they won't believe us. And even if they do, it'll only make things complicated…' _So she just put on a small smile and tilted her head at the girl. **"What do you mean?"**

Yukari crossed her arms. **"You know what I – You know what? Never mind that too. You and your brother are fine… So, I think I'd better get going," **she said with a laugh as if she had just shared a joke before walking off towards the stairs. What the? She and Mitsuru got to stay up late while she and Minato where ushered to their rooms like a bunch of toddlers? Then, she stopped in her tracks and looked back at Hamuko, **"Um… I'm sure you two still have other questions but let's save them for later, okay? Good night," **she continued before taking one step up the stairs. **"Oh, and one more thing; I don't think you should try to sneak into your brother's room… I heard Mitsuru-senpai can be **_**pretty **_**scary," **she added and finally disappeared from view.

Hamuko glared at where the other junior was standing before redirecting her glare towards the door to her room as if she was trying to burn holes into it. _'If I'm going to make holes into anything, I should do it to the floors,' _was her final thought before she quietly headed towards the stairs not even bothering to look inside her own room.

* * *

**[April 7, 2009 – 02:50 Tuesday**

**Iwatodai Dorm: Minato's Room]**

Hamuko managed to sneak into her brother's room with little effort seeing as Mitsuru, Yukari and anyone else who lived in this dorm wasn't lingering around the second floor and she closed the door silently behind her, only letting out a sigh of relief once she knew that she was in the clear.

Looking around, she surveyed the room and wondered if all the rooms in the dorm were like this. There were two shelves hanging on the wall on the right side when you entered, with a side table next to it and a bed in the corner. There was an alarm clock and a calendar at the head of the bed which had a blue checkered comforter – there was the form of a body underneath it and Hamuko pouted; it seemed that Minato was already asleep. On the left side, right next to the door was a mini-fridge, a sink, a mirror and a heater. There was also a study table and a televi – wait, what? A television? Did every room have that?

But she would have to rejoice and be in awe another time as she shuffled over to the bed and sat on the edge. She tried her hardest not to wake her brother but, apparently, there was no need of that when she heard the sound of chewing. Hamuko threw the covers off the bed and almost raged out loud when she found Minato lying on the bed while eating chocolate pocky. She felt betrayed in the most humorous sense possible.

Minato rolled over to face her and swallowed with a bored look on his face. **"Took you long enough," **he greeted as if a girl sneaking into a boy's room was the most normal thing in the entire world – which, in fact, it was… at least for them anyway. Hamuko just gaped and he gave her a raised brow. **"What? I told you I was hungry," **he said, before scooting nearer to the wall to make room for her on the bed.

The girl just laughed lightheartedly before moving to lie next to Minato, facing him as she did so that they could press their foreheads together… after he finished the last of the pocky, of course. **"You didn't save me one," **she smiled as her crimson eyes started into his azure ones.

"**You don't like chocolate pocky," **he said matter-of-factly.

She rolled her eyes, **"Well, that's true. Anyway, good night… Minato-nii," **she sighed, closing her eyes and placing her arm around his waist before drifting off to sleep. The last thing she took note of was the reflection in her brother's eyes and she could have sworn she saw a blue butterfly in them.

Minato nodded, resting his heavy eyes as well. The last thing he took note of was how red her sister's eyes were and how they reminded him of strawberries… Maybe he should buy strawberry pocky tomorrow; Hamuko liked those better than chocolate pocky.

* * *

**[April 7, 2009 – 07:20 Tuesday**

**Iwatodai Dorm: Minato's Room]**

Hamuko shot up from the bed, sweating and breathing raggedly as she clutched at her chest… it was the nightmares, again. The moment she realized where she was, she let out a sigh of relief and she looked at Minato, hoping she didn't wake him up. But he was there, wide awake and he was staring at her with a blank look on his face. **"The nightmares again?" **he asked, the girl nodding and his brows furrowed. **"Didn't they stop?"**

Another nod. **"I guess going to the place where our parents died does that, huh?" **she laughed, lying back down and placing a hand on his cheek, fighting the tears that threatened to come. The nightmares… or rather, memories of when their parents died – only she had them and they just assumed that Minato was a lot stronger than her so he didn't have them like she did. It was on the Moonlight Bridge during their birthday, ten years ago. One second, they were in the car safe and sound and in the blink of an eye – Minato and Hamuko were a couple of feet away from the burning heap that was their family car and four others. Nobody could explain how it happened but they just said that the two were probably thrown off during the blast, no matter how impossible it sounded. There was something wrong about that nightmare, as if it was a broken memory but she could never figure out what was wrong. **"I'm sorry, Minato-nii… You can go back to sleep," **she muttered, closing her eyes as well.

"**Can't,"** was his only reply.

She groaned; **"What do you mean you can't? Falling asleep is, like, your part of your top three specialties aside from eating like you're a bottomless hole and being oblivious to female affection," **she said, snuggling closer as the cold wind got to her… Who opened the darn window?

There was a pause… **"The alarm clock didn't work; we're going to be late for school."**

And Hamuko's eyes shot open and she fell out of bed. **"What? What time is it?" **she asked, scrambling to her knees and looking at the clock. She groaned, **"You could have told me so," **she whined, throwing off her jeans and tossing it at Minato's face, snatching the school uniform in the bag she had brought with her. She managed to place her skirt on and she threw off her shirt as that was sent flying at her brother's face as well when the world froze.

It wasn't the _Hidden Hour_ that made them freeze but the creaking of the door opened as Yukari ran in, screaming **"Hamuko's not in her ro-" **but she couldn't continue when she gaped seeing the setting before her. There was Minato in bed, face covered in a shirt and Hamuko struggling to fix the school blouse, her brassiere showing. Yukari's face grew red on cue… talk about awkward situation indeed.

* * *

_More Author's Notes:_

Well, I hope I didn't sound like I was bashing Yukari. Again, I don't hate her but it's so hard to like her especially early on in the game… and in the middle… it's easier to like her when the game is almost at the end.

Oh, and some people asked me if this was going to be a day-to-day run through as if you were playing the game. No, not really – if I did that, I'll never be done. I'm going to write out important parts of the main plots, maybe some of the Social Link events (although some would just have to be implied) and some important battles.

Shinjiro will be joining SEES a bit earlier than in the game in this story and as for fighting, if this was the game, Minato and Hamuko will be considered as one character in the party since they'll have to summon the Persona together. They summon the Persona together story wise but when it comes to fighting without the Persona, they team up most likely.

As for which Social Links I'll follow, this is the table. I tried to get an even number from both Minato and Hamuko but I tailor fitted the list to which I was most familiar with and which ones would fit the story. The Social Link characters who weren't chosen will still appear in the story though.

* Fool: Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad

* Magician: Junpei Iori (Kenji Tomochika – I finished his Social Link but SEES members take priority)

* Priestess: Fuuka Yamagishi

* Empress: Mitsuru Kirijo

* Emperor: Hidetoshi Odagiri

* Hierophant: Bunkichi and Mitsuko

* Lovers: Yukari Takeba

* Chariot: Kazushi Miyamoto & Rio Iwasaki (Well, they both have to be in a Sports Club, right?)

* Justice: Ken Amada (I adore Chihiro Fushimi; in fact, I dated her when I was playing with Minato – but, again, SEES members take priority. Chihiro would just have to appear during the Emperor Social Links, I guess)

* Hermit: Saori Hasegawa (Trying to fit both Minato and/or Hamuko into playing Innocent Sin Online didn't make sense in the context of Pisces – so Saori Hasegawa it is!)

* Fortune: Ryoji Mochizuki (Poor Keisuke Hiraga-san but Mr. Death is pivotal in this story… Oh well, you'll appear in Junpei's Social Link events anyway!)

* Strength: Koromaru (Again, SEES Member and awesome dog; but Yuko Nishigawa will appear in both Chariot Social Link events)

* Hanged Man: Maiko

* Death: Pharos

* Temperance: Andre Roland Jean Gérard (Also known as Bebe)

* Devil: Tanaka

* Tower: Mutatsu

* Star: Akihiko Sanada (I never finished Mamoru Hayase's Social Link so I don't know much about him except that he likes to have eating contests with Minato)

* Moon: Shinjiro Aragaki (This IS a Shinjiro x Hamuko fanfic; it's a no-brainer that the Moon Arcana has to be Aragaki-senpai. Nozomi Suemitsu would have to be in the sidelines along with Mamoru… maybe just have the two of them eat with Minato sometimes)

* Sun: Akinari Kamiki

* Judgement: Nyx Annihilation Team

* Aeon: Aigis


	3. Hermes and Polydeuces

_**Pisces**_

_**Chapter 3:**_Hermes and Polydeuces

_Disclaimer: _The author does not have ownership over Persona 3 Portable or any of its characters, locations and such; they belong to Atlus. This fanfiction, however, does belong to her. If she did own Persona 3 Portable, Shinjiro x Hamuko would be canon, Hamuko's Persona would be Eurydice instead of Orpheus and you would have the choice to have them both live and play them together as one character.

_Warning: _Violence, sexual themes and other things that would warrant a warning. Spoilers from the game are to be expected. There are also major differences from the actual storyline, such as the fact that both Minato and Hamuko exist here and Death is sealed inside them on March 1999 instead of May 1999.

_Pairings (Complete?): _

(Major) Hamuko x Shinjiro, Hamuko x Ryoji x Minato, Hamuko x Aigis x Minato;

(Minor) Hamuko x Ken, Hamuko x Akihiko, Hamuko x Minato, Hamuko x Hidetoshi, Hamuko x Akinari, Hamuko x Bebe, Yukari x Minato, Fuuka x Minato, Mitsuru x Minato, Chihiro x Minato, Chidori x Junpei, Toriumi x Minato, Hamuko x Theodore, Elizabeth x Minato;

(Crack) Koromaru x Shinji's Cooking, Akihiko x Beef Bowls, Hamuko x Food x Minato, Minato x Sleeping

(NEVER Gonna Happen) Akihiko x Shinjiro, Orobas x Shinjiro, Fuuka x Shinjiro, Hamuko x Nozomi, Theodore x Igor, Elizabeth x Igor, Takaya x Shin (Hamuko x Shin is more likely to happen in my very honest opinion)

_Author's Notes: _Third chapter; doing this while waiting for food at my grandparents. Hopefully, I've uploaded this by Christmas. Happy Holidays everyone! If not, than belated Happy Holidays! Oh, and I think I listed all the pairings with the main characters that will be shown in this fanfic. A lot of Minato and Hamuko pairings but I guess that's to be expected especially with the game and all. Don't worry – they aren't cheating! Mostly crushes and all that; I thought I'd just list them in case people wonder what would be here. Oh, and notice how Aigis and Ryoji are paired to both Arisatos? Haha. There was originally Maiko x Minato there too, but when I read the whole file over, I wanted to shoot myself in the head… without using an Evoker, so I removed that.

Update would have been faster if I wasn't so forgetful. I had to consult KyKiske7's Persona 3 Portable – 100% Walkthrough on YouTube to see what happens on what dates. I chose this because it was very clear and I think he maxes out all the Social Links with Hamuko, so I wanted to see that too. Forgive me if I place a Social Link event a day it would have been impossible to do on.

Oh, and I would have finished even sooner if I wasn't stuck reading Lightning on the Wave's Sacrifice Series. It's an HPDM slash with a Slytherin!Harry who has Lord level powers… It's awesome. I've also been working on a drawing for Dante Week's art contest, playing Persona 3 Portable for my fifth play through and…

If you read all the out-of-character notes, by the way: say 'It's not Lupus', tell me which Crack Pairing listed you want to see and tell me who's YouTube walkthrough I'm watching in your comment and I might make one-shots with a pairing of choice for the first three who does this.

Also, this may or may not be the last update that will have dates and times. Going through the walkthroughs to see what happened on what date and what time is kind of annoying, so Chapter onwards might have a different writing style which will highlight major points… so on and so forth.

* * *

**[April 7, 2009 – 8:30 Tuesday**

**Gekkoukan High: Main Hallway]**

The ride on Anehazuru had been… awkward, if you had to look for the most accurate word that would sum up the entire trip to school. No one talked and Yukari felt like the unwanted third wheel, as if she shouldn't be there to intrude on their intimate private time. Not that it was intimate to the two; they always held hands – wasn't that natural for siblings? But the two Arisatos being so close to each other made Yukari feel so alienated which was why she was happy when they were at their stop and hurried over to the school.

The girl had been greeted by familiar faces left and right while Hamuko and Minato just walked behind silently – waiting to be shown to their classroom or to be left to fend for themselves; whichever Yukari chose to do. And they were sure that the girl would do the latter with what had happened between the three of them last night and this morning. Which was why they were surprised when Yukari turned around with a small smile on her face. **"Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're gonna like it here… I think," **she said, trying to sound as cheerful as she could but faltered when some of the other students passing by gave her weird looks. That wasn't the thing that fazed her though as she looked at the two holding hands again. **"You… might not want to do that, you know? Unless you want rumors spreading around about you," **she muttered.

The two just blinked.

"**There's nothing wrong with what we're doing, so there's no need to worry," **Hamuko chirped in reply and looked at her brother who just nodded.

There was a sigh. **"Hey… I'm just saying," **she shrugged and slumped over; dealing with these two took a lot out of her – and they've only known each other for less than a day! **"Well, you should check what class you're in and go to your homeroom teacher first," **she continued, letting out another sigh before pointing out what was there and where to find them; well, she just pointed out where the faculty office is – wait, what? What kind of school tour was that?

If that was the entire tour, asking anything else wouldn't probably do them of much good so they just watched her leave after telling her that **"Yes, we'll be okay."**

Yukari didn't get too far though before she stopped again and turned back. **"About last night… Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay?" **and with that, she ran off.

The two just took a glance at each for a moment before Hamuko suddenly struck a pose, with one hand pointing up in the air, the other on her hip and one leg raised up – something you would probably see during a 'magical girl transformation' scene… or something like that. One eye was closed as she winked and there was a mischievous smile on her face as she openly declared that it was **"Time to start the Awesome Adventures of the Arisato Association!"**

The outburst received mixed reactions from the other people in the hallway; female students were giggling and gossiping, male students were whispering about the cute weirdo and an old man was grumbling about youth today. On Minato's face, though, was a look that seemed to be a mixture of amusement and embarrassment as he quickly pulled his little sister into the hallway towards the Faculty Office. They didn't even get to see what class they were in! …Oh well, they'd probably know it through their homeroom teacher anyway.

* * *

**[April 7, 2009 – 8:42 Tuesday**

**Gekkoukan High: Faculty Office Hallway]**

'_Well… it's less crowded in here, at least,' _Minato thought after dragging his sister through the double doors so that they could get out of that embarrassing situation. It was less crowded in this hallway as if students were avoiding it and, aside from the two of them, there were only three others here. One was a mature looking girl with wavy long locks, waiting around in front of another room while muttering to herself. The other two was a weird man with a Bushido helmet on his head and a foreign looking student, both who were conversing very passionately (not to mention loudly) about samurais.

There was another blink, a long pause and Minato started to draw Hamuko away before she could join the conversation on samurais as well, dragging her into the Faculty office.

* * *

**[April 7, 2009 – 8:44 Tuesday**

**Gekkoukan High: Faculty Office]**

Deeming them safe from any further embarrassment, Minato stopped pulling at his sister's hand when they were met with a woman clad in a pink blazer. There was a surprised look on her face but that was quickly replaced with a small smile. There was a twinkle in her eye as she greeted them; **"You two must be the new students; Arisato Minato and Arisato Hamuko – 11****th**** grade," **she said with a nod, looking down at a folder she had been holding. There was a mumble of something about living in a lot of different places and her eyes widened.

They had a feeling they knew what it was; it was always the same after all. Apologies and pity – muttered or otherwise; and they were used to it that it didn't mean anything anymore. Now, there were apologies about not reading this before they had arrived and Hamuko waved it away with a smile on her face.

"**It's quite alright ma'm," **she said, trying to reassure her and the teacher just smiled back.

Then, she finally introduced herself. **"I'm Ms. Toriumi, your homeroom and Composition teacher. Welcome to our school."**

And, the two knew how to act. Both bowed their heads and replied, **"We're pleased to meet you."**

Pleased with their attitudes, Ms. Toriumi finally led the way to the School Auditorium for a much… 'awaited' Welcoming Ceremony.

* * *

**[April 7, 2009 – 16:35 Tuesday**

**Classroom 2-F]**

Gossip ran like wild fire among the students of Gekkoukan High – although that was to be expected, really. The juicy kind was quick to fly around no matter what school you were in after all. But, even as the gossip was about the new students who turned out to be twins instead of lovers… as most people had assumed at first, the two Arisatos just ignored them with great ease. This was apparent during the Opening Ceremony, people left and right whispering about them but they acted as if they weren't hearing anything.

Instead, they had focused on their classes which were over soon enough and the two were getting ready to pack their bags. But it seemed they weren't let go of that easily as one of their classmates went over with a huge grin on his face. **"…'Sup, dude?" **a voice called out, startling the two of them, having been absorbed in just grabbing their things and placing them into their bags as neatly as possible. They quickly turned to look and see who it was; a guy wearing a blue baseball cap with a goatee on his chin.

He laughed, apparently at the expressions on their faces. The look on Hamuko's face was friendly surprise – the one on Minato's was not.

This was the guy named Junpei who, according to Yukari, was the poster boy for perverts. If that was true, he wasn't going anywhere near his sister. So, Minato stood up and gave him a warning look and asked, **"What do you want?"**

Junpei raised his hands up defensively, although the lopsided grin was still on his face. **"Hey, hey, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm not trying to hit on your girlfriend," **he said, cheerfully as he gave Hamuko a small wink. **"She's a cutie and all but I just wanted to check on the new kids in class. I know just how tough it is bein' the new kid," **he continued on with the friendly tone of voice.

But then, a loud and exaggerated sigh interrupted as Yukari walked up to them. **"At it again, huh? Honestly, is there any girl you wouldn't hit on?"** she said, with a voice full of disdain when the guy cut in, looking a bit offended.

"**Hey, hey, hey! I wouldn't hit on a girl that's taken, no matter how hot they are! That's against a man's code of honor," **he said, a bit riled up as his grin became a bit toothy.

"**Taken?"** the pink wearing girl looked confused, looking at Junpei as if he had grown a second head. **"Hamuko and Minato are siblings – twins… Were you sleeping again, Stupei?" **she sighed, giving him a flat glare. But then again, Yukari thought that they were a couple too with the way they acted around each other – not to mention the fact that they looked nothing alike.

But, Junpei seemed to rejoice at the revelation. **"Hamuko's not taken? Sweet!"**

"**I'm right here you know?" **Hamuko cut in with a pout, not liking the fact that the two talked about her as if she wasn't there.

Yukari turned to Minato, glad to ignore Junpei and hope Hamuko played along. The archer thought that Hamuko really wasn't the brightest bulb there was, but she should be a whole lot smarter than Stupei. She smiled at Minato, **"Some coincidence that we'd be in the same homeroom, huh?" **she spoke, definitely a lot friendlier towards the Arisato than to the other boy.

Junpei snickered, nudging Hamuko and whispering something to her. **"Watch out, Yuka-tan is trying to steal your brother away from you," **he grinned from ear-to-ear and Hamuko giggled in reply. Minato didn't hear what was said but the nearness to the other boy was enough to make Minato nervous, so that he only replied to Yukari's musing with a stiff nod.

Yukari heard though. Yes, she did. And a quick, angry stamp was set on Junpei's foot as she huffed. **"Don't do anything funny, Stupei. I have to go to the archery club today," **she said, giving the two Arisatos a wave and just plain ignoring the other boy as she walked out of the classroom.

A few moments of silence rang in the air, as if they were waiting until the archer was indeed a good distance away. Then, Junpei broke into a singsong voice, **"Someone's in looovveee~" **he laughed, to which Hamuko giggled along with. Of course, Minato not having heard what the guy had whispered to his sister promptly sent a glare at him thinking that he meant Junpei was in love with Hamuko. But, after making a few kissy faces, Junpei grinned at the two again. **"I seriously didn't come here to hit on Hamuko or anything. If you ever have a problem, you can tell your ol' pal Junpei about it!" **he declared with great confidence, shoving a thumb into his chest.

Another giggle. **"We'll remember that, Junpei-kun."**

**

* * *

**

**[April 7, 2009 – 23:05 Tuesday**

**Iwatodai Dorm: Lounge]**

'_Water… Where are the cups?'_ Minato sighed, searching quietly around the cupboards for a mug as he left the pitcher of cold water on the counter. It was near midnight and he had to get out of bed for a drink, although he would have gotten here sooner if Hamuko wasn't blocking his way.

Then, there were footsteps and a head of white hair passed by from the stairs, towards the entrance. **"I'm going out for a bit," **he announced and Minato thought it was addressed to him. **"Have you seen the newspapers lately?"**

'_Is he even allowed to go out this late?' _Minato thought, not moving to his spot as he poured himself a glass of water. _'What's he talking about? Newspapers?'_

"**I know," **came another voice and Minato almost jumped. The seniors were still up at this hour, really? **"People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome… I've seen it in the news quite often lately. They say it's due to stress, but…"**

There was a snort; **"Yeah, right. It has to be THEM. Otherwise, it's not worth my time…"**

'_Them? Is someone spreading this… Apathy Syndrome?'_

A chuckle came from the student council President; **"You have a one-track mind… Will you be okay on your own?"**

"**Don't worry. I'm just getting a little practice."**

'_Shouldn't be the police investigating this? And what did he mean by practice?'_

And out the door he went, obvious by the creak of the door as it opened followed by a soft slam.

"**This isn't a game Akihiko…"**

**

* * *

**

**[April 8, 2009 – 17:12 Wednesday**

**Iwatodai Dorm: Lounge]**

After another day of school wherein they had gone through a comfortable routine of listening in class, taking down notes and whispering the answers to Junpei both Hamuko and Minato trudged through into the dormitory lounge. They looked forward to a night free of homework and everything seemed to be going along smoothly like yesterday. Yukari was reading magazines in her usual spot at the cou- oh, wait, there were no magazines, not to mention there was an unfamiliar man sitting in Mitsuru's usual place.

The man had long, wavy brown hair and wore spectacles, a brown jacket with a black turtleneck on the inside. He had a scholarly, sophisticated air about him and a fatherly impression. Smiling as he regarded the two, he greeted; **"So, this is our new guests… Good evening. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school" **he started off quite formally, until a chuckle broke out from his lips. **"Ikutsuki… Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes."**

Now, Minato didn't know what to make of this man but Hamuko certainly liked him. And the two both bowed respectfully, introducing themselves in return.

Ikutsuki, as he had introduced himself, quickly waved the formalities off with a friendly laugh. But then, he returned to his more professional tone; **"I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment," **he said, with a certain glint in his eyes. Hamuko couldn't figure out what that meant, never being good at reading expressions but Minato had his… doubts about this man. Whatever he felt off though, he didn't voice out – since, well, everyone must have had their own secret or two; it was best not to pry.** "Is there anything you'd like to ask?"**

"**What are you doing here, sir, if we may ask?" **Minato broke out politely, trying not to sound accusing or too nosy.

"**To welcome you, of course," **he replied with great ease. And, cue another chuckle. **"Do you have another question?**

A shake of the head. **"No, that's all really," **Minato replied again, earning a pout from Hamuko.

"**Then, I hope you have a successful school year," **he smiled with a nod, pushing himself off the chair and on to his feet. **"Now, if you'll excuse me… You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early. As they say, 'The early bird catches-'," **he continued, the 'lame pun' senses tingling in Yukari. But, he never got to finish as Hamuko did it for him.

"**The bookworm!"** the female Arisato giggled, earning a blink, a smile and then a chuckle from the man.

"**I see I've got a fellow comedian in here," **he nodded.

The look on both Minato's and Yukari's faces were aghast with horror.

"**Don't tell me; Hamuko just changed her name to Ikutsuki Junior," **she groaned, slapping herself on the forehead as if to massage away an oncoming headache.

* * *

**[April 8, 2009 – **_**Hidden Hour**_

**?]**

Minako was having the a very nice dream; not like the nightmare she had lately. She was in _Chaplin's Chocolate Factory_ with her brother. Chaplin had given them the factory and they were running through the gumdrop forest, happily content by the sweets surrounding her. They had done this after swimming in the river of chocolate and had washed off the gooey sweet with a shower of milk and even wrestled with some gummy bears.

Everything was perfect, when she became overly conscious as if there was watching her. She looked up and gaped as a giant eye in the cotton candy filled sky was watching them like a hawk. It was followed by a voice. **"Mistress… Master… Mistress Hamuko, Master Minato," **it whispered, pulling her from her this wonderland like a siren call.

Of course, this was Hamuko and she resisted, grabbing unto licorice vines to try and ground herself. Her head snapped to the side when she noticed Minato was already floating upwards, like a human captured in an alien's tractor beam. **"No! Don't go into the light, Minato-nii!"** she yelled, flailing and failing to continue resisting as she was pulled along as well, the licorice tearing from where they hanged.

The next thing she knew, they were soaring over black and white checkered styled floor and a blue door opened up, letting them in.

Silent as they landed upright on their feet and was placed delicately into a velvet chair** . "Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor; I am delighted to make your acquaintance," **the source of the voice before smiled eerily at her. Hamuko, of course, couldn't help but stare. The man, Igor, had blood shot eyes that seemed to pop out of his head and a head – or, well half a head of white hair. His nose was big and long, one that would put Pinocchio to shame and he had pointy ears. He wore a formal suit and gloved hands, looking very much like a deranged butler from hell. **"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place…" **he continued, pointing at… something.

It was a desk, right in front of her, something she hadn't noticed before and Hamuko looked around dazedly to observe the room… Although, now that she looked at it, it seemed to be a room built inside the elevator. The grills on the far side opposite her showed that they were going up and up and up and up, continually ascending at what should be dizzying speeds. The room was rather plain, with two velvet chairs and a velvet desk in between them. At least it rang true to its name.

But, there were only two chairs, one for her and one for Igor. She turned around, expecting more grills there, only to see Minato and the blue door they had gone through. Her brother was silent throughout the whole ordeal, watching the exchange pensively with a blank look on his face. He stood behind her, on her right – reminding her like some sort of knight guarding his king, er, queen.

Her attention snapped back to the strange man when he started to talk again, though, and what was fuzzy became even more confusing.** "Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so," **he smiled, showing a mouthful of teeth as he did so, and his bloodshot eyes were fixed eerily on Hamuko. **"I only ask one thing in return… that you abide by the contract and assume responsibility for the choices you make."**

Hamuko didn't know what to say, but there was an answer dangling at the tip of her tongue. Glancing back at Minato who gave her a curt nod, she replied with what she felt was the correct thing to say; **"I understand."**

And it seemed that pleased their otherworldly host. He took something from his pocket and held it out; **"Hold on to this…" **he said, handing a key to her as if it was a delicate item.

When she held it in her hand, there was the same tugging from before – the one which had called her from her wonderland. It was saying that it is time to go and it was pulling at them again. But, it stopped when Igor seemed to have a few more words to say. **"There are still more residents of this room, who unfortunately could not be present for your arrival. But I'll make sure all are properly introduced. Another time, perhaps?" **he smiled then bowed. There was that tugging again. **"'Til we meet again…" **he finally said.

The next thing she knew, she was back in her wonderland.

This time, it felt rather… empty.


End file.
